Fires underscore importance of addressing climate change
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More than a month after the Labor Day wildfires, I’m still trying to comprehend the impact. Having grown up in Rhode Island, I understand it when the total amount of acreage destroyed by the fires (over 1 million acres) is described as being larger than my home state. The loss of homes, communities, property and land is truly on an epic scale.
I’m in awe of the efforts within the forest sector to provide support and recovery. The road back will be a long one, and will require patience, resilience and perseverance. Luckily, these are traits that are plentiful among the people of Oregon’s forest industry.
Many factors came together to create the massive and highly destructive fires that broke out over Labor Day weekend, including the impacts of climate change, drought, a high-wind event and, in some cases, a lack of proper forest management practices.
Human-caused climate change, largely attributed to the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, is one factor we can’t ignore. This makes the publishing of our new science report, Carbon in Oregon’s Managed Forests, timely and relevant. Authored by experts in carbon and forestry, this report is intended to help the public better understand the role forests can play in combating climate change, and how we can harness their natural carbon-storing capabilities.
Forests are strong allies in the fight against climate change, and Oregon forests and wood products play a pivotal part.
For the forest,
Erin Isselmann
Executive Director
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New report examines carbon in Oregon's forests |
A new OFRI science report highlights the major role Oregon’s forests play in keeping carbon out of the atmosphere, underscoring the importance of using strategies that enhance these forests’ carbon-sequestering superpowers to combat climate change.
The vast forests that cover nearly half the state capture and store significant amounts of atmospheric carbon, both in growing trees and wood products sourced from those forests, according to the Carbon in Oregon’s Managed Forests science review report. The report synthesizes the latest scientific findings on carbon sequestration in Oregon’s forests, including managed forests (also called working forests), which are primarily managed for timber production. Authored by experts in carbon, forestry and life-cycle assessment of wood products, the 120-page report and an accompanying 12-page summary are intended to help the public better understand how forests and wood products sequester and store carbon.
“As we work to solve the climate crisis, this report will inform Oregonians about ways we can harness our forests’ natural carbon-storing abilities in the fight against climate change,” says OFRI Director of Forestry Mike Cloughesy, who served as one of the report’s technical editors.
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Webinars focus on fire recovery |
The Oregon State University Extension Fire Program is hosting a series of webinars for forest landowners whose properties were impacted by this year’s Labor Day fires.
The post-fire series kicked off Oct. 1 with a webinar titled “After the Fire – Now What?” and covers topics related to addressing the impact of wildfires on natural resources, including water, soil and vegetation. All the webinars can be viewed live, or later as a recording. Upcoming webinar topics include reforestation and restoration on Oct. 22, and conversion to non-forestland on Nov. 5.
A schedule of upcoming webinars in the series is available on the OSU Extension website. Videos of past webinars in the series, as well as class resources, can be accessed here.
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Cloughesy receives lifetime achievement award |
The OSAF Lifetime Achievement Award is presented in recognition of a lifetime of contribution to the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and lifetime achievement by an OSAF member. Cloughesy was one of two people to receive the award this year. Gary Blanchard, a longtime employee of Corvallis-based Starker Forests Inc., was also recognized.
Cloughesy, who has led OFRI’s landowner education program for the past 17 years and previously worked for Oregon State University, including 11 years as an OSU Extension forester, was honored for dedicating his career to educating Oregonians about Oregon’s forests.
“Since Mike began his career 45 years ago, he has been passionate about the field of forestry and dedicated to educating thousands of foresters, landowners and general audiences about all aspects of forests and forestry,” the professional organization noted in recognizing Cloughesy for the award. “Mike has been a mentor for many SAF members and colleagues. Colleagues who nominated Mike highlight how he takes the time to listen and genuinely looks for ways to help others advance their careers.”
OFRI board member Audrey Barnes, who represents small woodland owners, and her husband, Rick, received the OSAF Heritage Award honoring the work of their Roseburg-based forestry business Barnes & Associates Inc. for sustained excellent performance and support of SAF.
Lauren Grand, an OSU Extension forester for Lane County who is featured in the OFRI-produced educational video for middle school students Forest Team GO!, received the OSAF Young Forester Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership by a young forestry professional.
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Forest career video contest |
The Forest Resources Association is inviting Oregon high school students ages 14 to 18 to create a short video highlighting the value of a career in the forest products industry, for a regional video contest with cash prizes.
Videos entered in the Thru the Trees contest, which is also open to students from Washington, Montana and Idaho, may be up to 90 seconds long, and must be submitted through YouTube. Students who enter the contest are encouraged to get curious about a forest job (or jobs) that interests them, and then conduct research to creatively showcase forestry careers in their video. This could include creating a mock news segment, commercial, movie trailer, cartoon or music video.
The grand prize winner will receive $1,000. The second place winner will receive $500, and the third place prize is $250. In addition, 12 finalists will each receive $100.
Entries for the Thru the Trees contest will be accepted through Nov. 13, and the winners will be announced Dec. 4. Contest rules and an online entry form are available on the contest website, thruthetrees.org.
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Tree School Online continues this fall |
The Tree School Online educational webinars for Oregon forest landowners are continuing this fall, with a special emphasis on eastern Oregon forests.
The free webinars, which OFRI helped start this spring in collaboration with the Oregon State University Extension Service and the Partnership for Forestry Education, are currently scheduled to take place throughout October and November and into mid-December. Upcoming webinars include The Other Insects at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 as part of a series focused on eastern Oregon forests; and Fish Habitat and Riparian Management at 3 p.m. on Nov. 3.
Many of the upcoming webinars are part the Forests of Eastern Oregon webinar series for people who own, manage or are interested in private forestlands in eastern Oregon. These webinars take place on selected Thursday evenings, and include approximately one hour of web-based presentation, with opportunities to interact with the instructors and ask questions.
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BLOG: "Private landowners and loggers help fight Labor Day fires"
The Labor Day fires of 2020 have been devastating to western Oregon. One bright spot has been the work of private citizens, including forest landowners and loggers who helped fight the fires alongside professional firefighters. In his latest blog post, OFRI Director of Forestry Mike Cloughesy details these efforts and explains why this is both a very sad and a very proud time in Oregon forestry. Read the blog.
BLOG: "Forest learning spreads far and wide"
Because forests are important in so many ways, it’s critical that K-12 students understand how they work and how we’re all connected to them ecologically, economically and socially. OFRI Director of K-12 Education Programs Norie Dimeo-Ediger describes in her latest blog the framework OFRI created to help educators teach about the importance of forests, a model that’s been used in places as far away as Tasmania. Read the blog.
It's Forest Products Week
This week is National Forest Products Week, which honors the essential role forests and forest products play in the nation’s livelihood and prosperity. The forest industry adds nearly $300 billion annually to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and employs almost 1 million Americans, according to a presidential proclamation declaring Oct. 18-24 as the 2020 National Forest Products Week. Read the proclamation.
OFRI board meets Oct. 23
The OFRI board of directors will hold a virtual board meeting from 9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 23. A link to join the meeting and download the agenda is available here.
Forest habitat conservation plan drafted
The Oregon Department of Forestry has developed a draft habitat conservation plan for western Oregon’s state forests, which the Oregon Board of Forestry approved earlier this month to move forward for federal review. Covering 639,000 acres of state forestland west of the Cascades, the draft Western Oregon State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan proposes enhanced protections for threatened and endangered fish, while ensuring predictable timber revenues to fund public services in rural communities. View the draft plan here.
Fire relief fund to aid forestry contractors
The Oregon Logging Conference has started a relief fund to help forestry contractors affected by this year’s devastating wildfires across western Oregon. The Oregon Logging Conference Repair & Recovery Fire Relief Fund will assist forestry contractors with insurance deductibles and costs associated with removing, repairing and replacing equipment, tools and supplies damaged or destroyed by recent wildfires. To make a donation, or for more information, contact conference manager Rikki Wellman at firerelieffund@oregonloggingconference.com.
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Oregon Forest Resources Institute |
The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Forest Resources Institute in 1991 to advance public understanding of forests, forest management and forest products and to encourage sound forestry through landowner education.
A 13-member board of directors governs OFRI. It is funded by a portion of the forest products harvest tax.
Copyright © 2020, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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